Just A Little Longer, My Love
by PyroKitty24
Summary: Small one-shot between Hollyleaf and Foxleap. What would have happened if things could have worked out? Kind of sad, and spoilers for series three AKA the Power of Three. Written for Kuro Neko as an apology story, but all may enjoy.


A/N Eh it wasn't supposed to be as sad as it turned out to be. Sorry for the kind of crappiness, this was done in class. And I've never read teh forth series, so I don't know how Foxpaw and Icepaws ceremony went down. And I can't remember all the little details from the third series, school had wiped it from my brain. I tried my best.

This was written for my friend Kuro Neko. This story was written for her as a 'Sorry I made your Birthday story so late' present slash apology. I hope she enjoys it!

* * *

"Hollypaw! Hollypaw!" Foxkit called out with his Clan. Of course, the Clan was calling for Jaypaw and Lionpaw too, but Foxkit was focusing strictly on the black shecat. He had loved playing with her when she was in the Nursery, and he would miss that now. She had chosen to be the medicine cat apprentice too, so they wouldn't even be able to train with her once he became an apprentice! He was miserable inside, but on the outside he made sure to act as happy as he could. He was happy for Hollypaw, of course, but sad for himself and the loss of his best friend.

...

When Foxkit was curled up against his mother and sister in the nursery, his thoughts went to the newly named apprentice. Hollypaw would be sleeping in the medicine cat's den now, and Foxkit felt completely alone. Getting an idea, he quietly backed himself away from his family and snuck out of the nursery. The camp was eerily silent except for his father and Cloudtail on guard duty outside of the camp. He was sure that they wouldn't see him, so he trotted over to the medicine cat's den without bothering with hiding. When he was inside he whispered, "Hollypaw! Hollypaw!"

His heart fluttered when the black she-cat came out from the back of the den. "Foxkit!" she gasped, surprised, "What are you doing here? Let's go outside."

I turned and exited the den. I sat down and watched Hollypaw follow after me. She sat down across from me and asked, "What's wrong? Are you sick? Are Icekit and Ferncloud safe?"

"They're fine, I'm fine!" Foxkit answered quickly, "I wanted to see you! I'm lonely in the Nursery!"

This made Hollypaw burst into a muffled laughter, much to Foxkit's annoyance.

"What!" Foxkit growled, upset and offended.

"I'm sorry, Foxkit, that I'm not there. But you can come and visit me anytime during the day, alright?" Hollypaw explained.

"Alright." Foxkit sighed, feeling a little dejected.

Hollypaw licked Foxkit on the top of the head, and he looked up and smiled at the shecat. The two stared at each other in the moonlight for a few heartbeats before Hollypaw turned and entered back into her den. Foxkit scampered across the camp and took his place at his mother's stomach before any cat noticed he was gone.

...

"Foxpaw! Icepaw! Foxpaw! Icepaw!" the Clan cheered. Foxpaw stood proudly next to his new mentor and looked out at his Clan. He could see Hollypaw clearly, who gave him a wide smile. That made Foxpaw's heart leap, and he wanted to go see the shecat. But before he knew it, the black shecat had been whisked away from the mess by her mentor, Brackenfur, and he couldn't find her. He was upset about that, but Icepaw quickly came up and distracted him. It was alright, though, because Hollypaw was in warrior training now! They could meet each other in the den tonight and talk about their day, because Foxpaw was now an apprentice! They could sleep next to each other and train together. They would be best friends again, Foxpaw would make sure of it!

...

It just wasn't fair. Oh, sure, Foxpaw was happy for Hollyleaf getting her warrior name, but it had been a few days already and he had barely gotten to see her. He missed sharing a den with her. When he confronted his sister, Icepaw, about his problem, she told him to start training harder. And that was exactly what the tom was going to do. "I'll be a warrior and make you proud, Hollyleaf!" he mumbled to himself as he set out across the forest. Icepaw had decided to take a nap instead of train with him, since she had been on dawn patrol, and so Foxpaw was training by himself. Even his mentor was too busy to help him train! But that was alright with Foxpaw. He could train by himself, and become a warrior before Icepaw! He would be the best warrior there ever was, and Hollyleaf would have no choice but to acknowledge him! _'She'll love me,'_ he told himself_, 'She'll love me because I did this for her.'_

_...  
_

None of it mattered. None of it mattered at all. Foxpaw had spent every waking hour training to be the best warrior he could be, and it was now all over. Hollyleaf had joined StarClan. He wanted to comfort the shecat when she had shared her heritage with the whole forest at the Gathering, but she had escaped too quickly. And by the time he got back, she was gone. Jayfeather and Lionblaze told the Clan all about it.

Foxpaw's innards felt twisted and tangled when he thought of Hollyleaf and how he would never see her again. How she wouldn't be able to see him become a warrior, because he hadn't trained hard enough or fast enough. He would never get to sleep next to the she-cat again. Never go on patrol with her. Never share tongues or prey with her. Never have kits with her.

He yowled into the sky as it started to storm. Almost all of the other cats gave up and went into their dens as it started to rain, but not Foxpaw. He would stay out there all night, mourning his love. He wished there was a body to bury at dawn, a body to share tongues with one last time. But StarClan wouldn't even allow him that. She was gone, and there was nothing Foxpaw could do.

...

"Foxleap! Icecloud! Foxleap! Icecloud" the words rang true throughout the clearing as the camp called his name. Foxleap didn't care though. He acted happy to be a warrior, but inside his heart was aching_. 'I did this for you, Hollyleaf. Can you see me now?'_ he thought, staring up into the sky. He would have all night to think of Hollyleaf and what could have been, but for now, he might as well enjoy his ceremony. At least Hollyleaf got to enjoy her ceremony before she moved on to StarClan. That was one moment Foxleap would remember for the rest of his life.


End file.
